Like thousands of Australians I was hugely relieved when Amazon finally launched its new retail offer on Tuesday.

I'd been clicking on amazon.com.au 20 times a day - for research purposes only - since Amazon's Australian country manager, Rocco Braeuniger, told Marketplace sellers last month the launch was "really, really really close."

After a false start on Black Friday, when launch speculation reached fever pitch, I'd almost given up, until Amazon revealed it was ready to launch on Tuesday with 'millions' of products across more than 20 categories.

Amazon's initial range may have left many customers and retail experts underwhelmed but to me the range - 7.5 million SKUs according to Bain and Company - was a little overwhelming, especially compared to the modest online offerings of the few specialty fashion retailers I favour.

What to buy, for research purposes only? I didn't need a new pair of headphones, an iPhone, a pasta maker, a mini torch, a box of Lego, a bottle of Finish powder or a stick vacuum cleaner (I'd bought one of those online at David Jones a few months ago and it's still sitting unplugged in the laundry cupboard).

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Out of curiosity I searched for the DVD version of Captain Corelli's Mandolin, which I'd failed to find on Netflix or Apple TV, much to the relief of my husband and daughters.

Sure enough, a quick search uncovered three copies, one of which had dubious regional coding. At $9.05 plus $1.44 GST and $5.45 shipping and packing it was more expensive than the identical DVD at JB Hi-Fi ($6.98 plus $4.99 for express delivery). But Amazon guaranteed delivery by Thursday (December 7) whereas JB Hi-Fi's site said it would arrive between December 11 and December 12 - six to seven days!

Amazon's estimate proved conservative. The DVD was delivered from Amazon's new Dandenong fulfilment centre within 28 hours, at 3.59 pm on Wednesday, although it lay buried under a pile of parcels in the Fairfax mail room until Thursday morning.

Amazon may have only one distribution centre in Australia and is relying on third party providers such as Australia Post, rather than its own fleet of trucks, to fulfil orders, but it's already showing some Australian retailers a clean pair of heels on delivery speed.

Amazon is not yet in a position to offer same-day or express delivery but for $9.99 it promises to deliver to most capital cities in one or two business days (for items sold by Amazon rather than by Marketplace sellers).

Amazon's standard or express delivery time of 3 to 7 business days is in line with that at JB Hi-Fi but, according to analysis by Bain and Company, it beats retailers such as Big W (4 to 6 days in metro areas and 6 to 9 in non-metro areas), Target (3 to 14 days in metro and 4 to 16 days in non-metro), Myer (4 to 7 days in metro and 7 to 10 days in non-metro) and Toys R Us (5 to 10 in capital cities and 7 to 12 in other areas).

Amazon's free shipping offer kicks off on orders over $49, half the threshold at retailers such as Myer and Target but in-line with Rebel and The Iconic.

Amazon's delivery speeds are expected to improve in mid-2018, when it launches Prime, the subscription-based service that includes unlimited free deliveries and other services such as access to Prime Video, cloud storage, books and games.

Analysts say the launch of Prime, which is used by about 60 per cent of American households, will change the game for Amazon and Australian retailers, making ordering from Amazon almost a daily habit for consumers.

"That's when they get you in to that point where you're part of the Amazon ecosystem .... and it's just so easy to do everything on Amazon," said UBS analyst Ben Gilbert.

Amazon may not drive prices down as much as originally feared or take a huge slab of sales, but as more shopping shifts online it will force Australian retailers to invest heavily in distribution and fulfilment so they can stay up to speed.